This catalog contains a comprehensive program of study with a vast and varied selection of courses. The courses offered at Darien High School provide an array of possibilities for building a curriculum that is rich with theory as well as practical application. As you select your courses for the upcoming academic year please be cognizant of your interests, future plans,graduation requirements, and prerequisites. Make sure to discuss your goals and aspirations with your parents, teachers, and guidance counselor who will guide you in building a program of study that will help you achieve those goals.

Darien High School prides itself on its ability to provide an environment where students are encouraged to be reflective thinkers while striving for excellence. In the course selection process you have an exciting opportunity to realize your full potential while striving for that excellence. Please make sure to give it the attention that it requires.

Sincerly, Ellen Dunn

COURSE SELECTION: Course selections are made by each
student, in consultation with his/her parents,
guidance counselor and often, previous
teachers. Seminars for 8th grade
parents are held to acquaint them with
course information to assist their students.
Student programs in grades 9 and 10 are
organized around a core curriculum.
Students must carry a minimum of six
courses, plus Physical Education. A
combination of exploratory electives
such as Art, Music, Drama, Humanities
and Technology Education, (selected
according to student interests) are combined
with the student’s core curriculum
to meet the six course requirement.

COURSE LOAD: All students in grades 9—11 are required
to carry a minimum of six full time subjects,
in addition to physical education,
each semester. It is recommended that at
least four of the six subjects be from the
departments of English, social studies,
mathematics, science and foreign languages.
Students in grade 12 are also required to
carry a minimum of six full time subjects,
in addition to physical education,
each semester. However, seniors who
are taking 3 or more courses at the 400
level (Honors or AP) may opt to take
only five full time subjects, in addition to
physical education during the semester(s)
in which they are so enrolled.

SPECIAL EDUCATION: Students receiving Special Education
support services will be scheduled according
to their Individual Education
Plan as approved by the Planning and
Placement Team.

APPROVAL OF
COURSE SELECTION: Parent involvement is an essential
element in the registration process. To
that end, this course catalog is for parents
as much as it is for students, counselors
and teachers. Parents are encouraged to
read the course descriptions with particular
attention to the prerequisites for each
course.
Students should confer with their teachers
and then with their counselor on initial
course selection. Students in continuing
courses are recommended for the
next course in the sequence by their current
teacher of the subject area. Course
level is initially recommended by the teacher and the department according to
the stated prerequisites. The student
confers with his/her counselor on the
total course load, level and types of
courses. A list of selected courses is sent
home with the student for parent signature.
During registration students must note
alternative electives in case their original
course requests are not offered, or do not
fit in their schedule.

YOUR INTERESTS: Because a major part of your life will be
spent working, and because liking your
work will play a major role in your general
happiness, it is extremely important
that you give careful consideration to
your interests in choosing your courses
of study. Call upon your counselor to
help in assessing your interests and in
deciding how to satisfy them. Career
decision making inventories are also
available through the Guidance Department
website.

REGISTRATION: Registration serves as a guide to determine
which courses and the number of
sections that will be required for the next
school year. Courses that are undersubscribed
are eliminated and alternative
courses inserted. Once the list of available
courses is in place, final registration
can proceed. With few exceptions all
classes are scheduled by computer.
Final, revised student schedules are
mailed home during the summer. This
final schedule may reflect changes that
were necessary to balance class sizes in
multiple sections and to maintain the
students registration requests. Students
may NOT change courses once they
have been registered for the courses
they have chosen.
Teachers’ names do not appear on preliminary
schedules. Requests to change
to another section to have a choice of a
teacher are not honored. This restriction
is necessary to provide balanced
class sizes and equitable teacher loads.

A WORD OF CAUTION: Although intellectual development is our
primary focus at Darien High School, we
recognize the importance of co-curricular
activities in the lives of adolescents as
they move toward young adulthood. The
budgeting of time, creating a balance
between academic pursuits and activities
outside the classroom, is not an easy
task. It is wise to seek the advice of your
parents, your teachers, and your counselor
in determining what is an appropriate
and sensible program of study for
you.

To use this catalog simply scroll down the page or use the sort options below.

Year
Level
Semesters
Department
Type
Display Mode

Setting the display mode to table will give you the most compact view.

DHS levels decoded: 200 Skills level | 300: Regular level | 650: course may be repeated | 750: Co-curricular
Activities | 900: Heterogeneous enrollmentNote: Some courses listed in this catalog may not be offered this school year as actual course offerings are limited by total registrations and by staff availability.